Apparatus for supplying strip



Augf 3, 1943. E. R TYRRELL 2,326,079

ABPARATUS FOR SUPLYING STRIP Filed I eb. 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l u nuHU L a u: Y

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APPARATUS FOR S'UPPLYING STRIP Filed Feb. 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nl[En n W uw 'um lllllll Illlllll II'II 1|||b Irl HH I||||| gg Ilm 'IIIIIfill;

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'Q' l Y Q t0 .y s i l Y m Patented Aug. 3, 1943 l APPARATUS FORSUPPLYING STRIP Emmet R. Tyrrell, Youngstown, Ohio, assignoi' to FesslerMachine Company, Sharon, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationFebruary 18,v 1941, Serial No. 379,446

16 Claims.

strip or the devices. It is. desirable that the strip uncoilingmechanism which supplies the strip to the various production Aorutilization machines and/or lines be capable of operating smoothly andat high speeds without danger of injury to the strip or the equipmentinvolved and it `is accordingly the primary object of the invention toprovide an improved mechanism having these desirable characteristics.This improvement is accomplished in accordance with the presentinvention by employing an expansible mandrel which rotates about arigidly fixed axis and,

which is operative to forcibly engage the inner periphery of the coilthereby concentrically supporting the coil during the uncoiling thereof.This support also prevents weaving and chatteremployed and the desiredreduction is obtained in one pass through the mill. Under presentpractice, tension is eiiected in the strip between the succeeding standsby proper control of the speed of rotation of the rolls in thesucceeding stands and tension in the strip as it leaves the last standis effected by coiling the strip on a power driven mandrel. In eithertype of mill, a substantial portion of the reduction eii'ected may beattributed to the back tension placed in the strip before the stripenters the respective stands of rolls. Without back tension, thereduction is less while the power required on the.

rolls of the mills is greater.

Under the present practice in reversing mill operation, the strip is fedto the mill from an uncoiler from where the strip first extends over theadjacent tensioning mandrel, without` necessarily' being in engagementwith such mandrel,

ing of the coil and looping of the strip as it leaves the coil therebysubstantially eliminating any possibility of damage to the side edges ofthe strip or any probability of surface cracks or checks appearing inthe strip. The expansion of the mandrel is=accomplished by. power meansunder remote control and, in addition, controllable power means isprovided to rotate the mandrel and consequently the coil held thereon.The latter means includes an overrunning clutch to allow the coil to berotated at high speeds by tension eifected in the vstrip by a rollingmill or other apparatus to which the strip is supplied.

A principal use to which strip uncoilers are put in the steel industryis the uncoiling of strip -before'the four high mills in thecold rollingof strip to supply the strip to such mills. In the reversing millatensioning mandrel or drum is positioned on either side of a. singlefour high stand and the strip run back and forth. being coiled onto one'drum while being uncoiled from the other drum and vice versa and duringthe rolling process, the tension in the stripl before and after the millas well as the roll pressure are accurately controlled to effect adesired result in the rolling operation. In the tandem mill, a

plurality. normally four, of four high stands are thence through therolls of the mill and is finally wound around the tensioning mandrel onthe far side of the mill. Even though roll pressure'and front tension beapplied during this pass the reduction is slight, due to the absence ofback tension. In accordance with my invention, I propose to apply backtension in the'strip during this initial pass and this is accomplishedby so constructing the uncoiler that the same will have suiiicientstructural strength and an inherent retarding or breaking mechanism toeffect the required back tension in the strip. Thus the efficiency ofoperation of the mill is materially increased which fact should becomeapparent when it is considered that the total rolling process mayconsist of but six or eightv passes through the mill and that byrendering one of the passes effective which heretofore has beensubstantially ineffective the total number of passes may be reduced or acorrespondingly greater reduction may be effected in the same number ofpasses. Thus to make the same product the mill time may be reduced fromve to ten per cent thereby effecting substantial economies in theoperation of the mill.

In present tandem mill practice employing, for example, four stands, theoperation of the rst stand is ineicient due to the absence of suicientback tension in the strip with relation to the stand and in normal cases.the deficiency of reduction may amount to 5/3 or more. By employingthe'uncoiling apparatus of my invention and the mill layout and practicetaught herein to supply strip to the tandem mill it is possible to bringthe eiciency of the iirst stand up to of its capacity and it should beobvious that this in slitting and trimming lines, etc.

will substantially increase the overall economy of operation of theplant.

It is therefore a further object of the invention to provide an improvedcold mill layout whereby the eiciency of practical operation of suchmills will be materially increased.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an improvedassembly for uncoiling and supplying strip to apparatus acting on saidstrip and to effect desired back tensioning in the strip as it entersthe apparatus. Back vtensioning is advantageous in rolling operations asexplained above and similarly, but to a much less extent,

For the purpose of accomplishing this object of the invention there isprovided the combination of a strip uncoiler of special design and aroller leveller so constructed and arranged in relation to the uncoilerthat in addition to the uncoiling and levelling or working functions ofthese elements controllable and adequate back tensioning in the stripsupplied may be effected by retarding forces distributed betweenl theleveller and uncoiler. In this manner the assembly is made capable ofwide applicability and the assembled machine elements are utilized morefully and more eiiiciently than has heretofore been suggested.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following detailed specificationand the accompanying drawings wherein there is specically disclosed apreferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention and a teaching ofa desired manner of use of the apparatus.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of an apparatus constructed in accordance withthe principles of the invention;

riphery 36 and three or more radially extending guide-ways 31 each` ofwhich is adapted to slide- 'ably receive a block 38 having an integraloutwardly extending jaw 39. A radially extending threaded shaft 40 hasscrew threaded engagement with each of the blocks 38 and keyed to the'inner end of each of the shafts 4|] is a bevel gear 4I housed withinthe hollow hub 32. Journaled in the pedestal I2 and extendingconcentrically through the hollow shaft 33 is a shaft 42 carrying abevel gear 43 in mesh with each of the three or more gears 4|. Shaft 42is driven by a combined motor and speed reducer assembly 45 through amagnetic clutch 46 and gears 41, 48, and 49.

Positioned centrally .below the chucks I1 is a hydraulic lift cylinder5B having a concaved plate 5| at its upper end to engage and lift a coilof strip into a position wherein the axis of the coil is substantiallycoincidentwith the axis of rotation of the chuck I1. 'I'he mechanismsupported by pedestal is identical with the mechanism describedspecifically '1n connection with Figure 2 with the exception that thepower means 34, to rotate the chuck is omitted. About the peripheralsurface 36 of the disk 3| carried by pedestal is a brake band 53 operyated by an air cylinder 54 carried by the pedes- Figure 2 is alongitudinal sectional view through one of the expansible coilsupporting l and rotating chuck assemblies of the apparatus `slideablymounted for movement toward and away from each other a pair of pedestalsI and I2 each of which is provided with a downwardly extending lug I3.Lugs I3 are in screw threaded .'tal Means, not shown, is attached to thepedestal to restrain rotative movement of the brake band 53.

In operation, with the chucks I1 spaced apart a coil |8 may be loweredinto position between the chucks and on the lift 5| and by actuation ofcylinderv50 the coil is brought into horizontal alignment with thechucks |1. By

v properly energizing motor I6 the pedestal I I and I2 and consequentlychucks I1 are moved toward each other with the jaws 39 entering in thecenter opening of the coil and the disks 3| brought into proximity withv-the side edges of engagement with screws I4 and I5 which are arrangedto be rotated by a motor I6 and when motor` I6 is energizedv forrotation in one direction the pedestals Il and I2 simultaneously movetoward each other and when motor I6 is reversed the pedestals moveoutwardly. Rotatably mounted on the inner end of each of the pedestalsis an expansible chuck indicated generally by reference numeral |1 whichchucks are operative to tightly grip and rotatably support a coil ofstrip shown in outline at I8. The apparatus consists also ofa pair ofpinch rolls 20 and a roller leveler comprising rolls 2| journaled inhousings 23 and 24 which are xed in relation to the base I0. Pinch rolls20 and roller -leveler rolls 2| are driven by motor 25 through speedreducerr26, an air operated clutch 21, a gear case 28, and couplings 29.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings the coil holding and rotatingchucks I1 each consist of the coil.l The magnetic clutches 46 being indriving condition, upon energization of motors 45 the jaws 39 are causedto move radially outward into pressure engagement with the innerperiphery of the coil to tightly hold the coil in concentric positionabout the axis of rotation of the jaws and disks. When this isaccomplished clutches 46 are disengaged and then chucks |1 are free torotate without altering the radial positions of the jaws 31 since shafts40 and 42 rotate as a unit about the axis of shaft 33. By energizingmotor 34 the chucks |1 and consequently the coil are rotated and uponsuch rotation the Aouter end of the strip may be threaded through pinchrolls 20 and the roller leveler rolls 2|, these rolls being driven bythe motor 25.

If, as shown in Figure 3, the strip isto be supplied to a tandem mill,the stands of which are shown schematically at 60 the strip is threadedthrough the rolling passes by rotation of rolls 2| or rolls of themill-itself and as it leaves the last stand it is attached to a coilingand tensioning mandrel or drum 6I. When the strip is secured to drum 6|the clutch 21 is disengaged allowing rolls 20 and 2| to rotate freelyand thereupon brake motor 54 is energized so that the brake 53 incombination with the friction encountered in the rotation of rolls 20and 2l together with couplings 29 and gears housed in casing 28 and inthe rotation of the chucks themselves will provide sufficient backtension in the strip rearwardly of the rst mill stand to enable theiirst mill stand to operate at maximum eiiiciency. By properly adjustingthe roll pressure, speed, and torque in each of the stands of the milland by rotating drum 6I at a predetermined speed under proper torque thestrip is reduced to its proper thickness in. one pass through the mill.The overall efficiency of the mill is substantially increased to theextent indicated above by enabling a greater reduction to be elected bythe first stand of the mill.

Referring now to Figure 4 which illustrates the invention as applied toa reversing mill having a single stand 62, there is shown a reversible'coiling and tensioning drum 63 on either side of the stand. In practice,the strip. is wound onto the drums 63 and passes through the stand 62rst in one direction and then in the other direction with the tractiveand braking efforts exerted on the drums giving t-he desired front andback tensionin the strip. In accordance with prior practice, in thefirst pass of the strip through the mill i. e. as the strip was taken01T the coil, insullcient back tension was applied and consequently onlya part of the usual reduction was eiected in this iirst pass. Inaccordance with the present invention the pass plane of the rollerlevelei 2l of the uncoiling mechanism of the invention is so positionedthat suicient back tension may be effected. in the rst pass to enableincreased reduction to be effected thereby. 'I'he uncoiling apparatus isoperated in the manner indicated above and when the end of the strip isrmly affixed tothe drum 63 on the far side of the stand 62 the mill mayat once be operated at maximum eniciency. 'I'he overrunning clutch 35and the disengagement of clutches 21 and 46 enable the coil to beunwound at a speed commensurate with the normal operating speeds of themills l involved..

It should now be apparent that I have provided an improved apparatus foruncoiling metal strip and an improved cold rolling mill layout utilizingsuch apparatus whereby the economy of operation of such mills may bematerially enhanced. The operation of the expansible chuck I1 is suchthat the coil is held rigidly and automatically centered whereby thecoil may be unwound at speeds considerably higher than is possible toobtain without damage to the apparatusor stock by present mechanismsdesigned for comparable uses. The uncoiling is accomplished smoothlywithout chattering of the coil or apparatus and without injury to theside edges or flat surfaces ofthe strip.

At normal operating speeds, 'the brake and other operative parts o1' themachine may be so adjusted that the strip will leave the coil along anatural curve spiralling outward from the coil in the manner explainedin my co-pendng application Ser. #328,685 led April 9, 1940. As pointedout in the specification of said co-pending application this method ofuncoiling prevents the formation of coil breaks which is of distinctadvantage. Figures 3 and 4v indicate the relation of the expansiblemandrel to the pinch rolls and it should be understood that theexpansible mandrel may lreadily be substituted for the coil of theinvention should be considered as illustrative only as obviously manychanges may be made therein without departing from the 'spirit or scopeof the invention. For example, although the uncoiling apparatus of the.invention is designed for and is particularly adaptable for supplyingstrip to the cold mill it should be apparent that it is equallyadaptable to other general uses as, for example, the supplying of stripto a pickling line. Likewise many changes may be made in the details ofconstruction of the specic apparatus illustrated without mitigating fromthe effectiveness of the apparatus when utilized in connection-with thetandem and reversing mills as indicated in Figures 3 and 4 respectively.Reference should therefore be had to the dependent claims in determiningthe scope of the invention.'

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination a base,a pair of supports slideably mounted on said base for movement t0- wardand away from each other, an expansible chuck rotatably mounted on eachof said supports and adapted to engage the opposite ends of a coil ofstrip, said chucks comprising jaws adapted to be moved into pressureengagement with the inner periphery of said coil, power means on saidsupports to move said jaws into said pressure engagement, means todisconnect said power means from said jaws, power means including anoverrunning clutch to rotate at least one of said chucks andconsequently the coil held thereon, and means to brake the rotation ofat least one of said chucks.

2. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination a base,a pair of supports slideably'mounted on said base for movement towardand away from each other, an expansible chuck rotatably mounted on eachof said supports and adapted to engage the opposite ends of the coil ofstrip, each of said chucks comprising a rotatable member having aplurality of outwardly extending jaws slideably mounted thereon forradial movement, a radially extending shaft having screw-threadedengagement with each of said jaws, a bevel gear keyed to the inner endof each of said shafts, a shaft joumaled for rotation about an axiscoincident with vthe axis ,of rotation of said member, a bevel gearsupporting mandrel in the machine illustrated keyed to said lastmentioned shaft and in mesh with said rst mentioned bevel gears, meansto rotate said last mentioned shaft whereby said -jaws will be movedinto pressure engagement with the inner periphery of said coil, andmeans to disconnect said rotating means from said last mentioned shaftwhereby said member and shafts will rotate in unison. l

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further including power' means torotate one of .said chucks, said power means including an overrunningclutch.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 further including power means torotate at least one of said chucks, said means including an overrunningclutch, and controllable means to oppose the rotation of at least one ofsaid chucks.

5. Apparatus for' uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination anexpansible mandrel for engaging the inner periphery of the coil of stripto hold the coil rigidly thereon, said mandrel being rotatable wherebysaid coil will rotate about its center of mass, a pair of pinch rollspositioned above and in front of said mandrel whereby the strip will bepulled from said coil along the curve tangent to said coil, a Arollerleveler adjacent the strip leaving side of said pinch rolls, power meansto rotate said pinch rolls and the rolls of said roller leveler, and aremotely controlled clutch to disengage said power means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 further including power means torotate said expansble mandrel, said last mentioned power means,including an overrunning clutch.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 further im cluding the power means torotate said mandrel, Asaid I-last mentioned power means including anoverrunning clutch, and a controllable brake to oppose rotation of saidmandrel.

8. In combination with a metal rolling mill having a strip tensioningdevice positioned beyond its material leaving end, means to supply stripto said mill comprising a strip uncoiler having a roller levellerassociated therewith and means t0 tightly grip the innerperiphery of acoil of -strip for rotation about its principal axis, means to drivesaid leveler, and means including the friction encountered in therotation of the parts of saidleveler and uncoiler to eiect suiiicientback tension in a strip as it enters the reducing roll stand to enablesaid stand of`tle mill to eect increased reduction in the thickness ofthe strip as the strip moves from said uncoiler through said stand.

9. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip com-- prising in combination anexpansible mandrel lfor engaging the inner periphery of the coil ofstrip to hold the coil rigidly thereon, said-man-V drel being rotatablewhereby said coil will rotate about its center of mass, a pair of pinchrolls positioned above and in front of said mandrel whereby the stripwill be pulled from said coil along the curve tangent t0 said coil, aroller leveleradjacent the strip leaving side of said pinch rolls, andpower means to rotate said pinch rolls and the rolls of said rollerleveler.

10. Apparatus for supplying strip to a strip rolling mill comprising inVcombination a rotat- ,able and expansible mandrel to tightly grip theinner periphery of a coil of 'strip for holding said coil and rotatingthe same about its principal axis, means to oppose rotation of saidmandrel, a rollerleveler adapted to receive the strip as it spirals offthe coil held on said mandrel, the operation of the apparatus being suchthat the friction encountered in the rotation of the parts lofthe'leveler and uncoiler eiects-sufcient back tension in the strip as itenters the rolling mill to venable said mill to eiiect increasedreduction in the thickness of the strip as the strip moves from Y thecoil through the mill.

' 11. Apparatus according to claim 10 further including power means torotate said mandrel,

said means including an overrunning clutch.

l2. Apparatus according to claim 10 further including power means torotate the rolls of said Aroller leveler, and a clutch to disconnectsaid powerr means from said rolls.

13. Apparatus for uncoiling metal strip comprising in combination abase, a pair of supports slidably mounted on said base for movement to'-ward and away from each other, an expansible chuck rotatably mounted oneach of said supports and adapted to engage the opposite ends of a coilof strip, said chucks comprising jaws adapted to be moved into pressureengagement with the `inner periphery of said coil, power means 'on saidsupports to move said jaws into said pressure engagement, means todisconnect the power means from said chucks, and separate power means torotate at least one of said chucks. 14. Apparatus for uncoiling metalstrip cornprising in combination a base, a pair of supports slidablymounted on said base for movement toward and away from each other, anexpansible chuck rotatably mounted on each of said supports and adaptedto engage the opposite ends of the coil of strip, each of said chuckscomprising a rotatable member having a plurality of outwardly extendingjaws slidably mounted thereon for radial movement, a radially extendingshaft having screw-threaded engagement with each.

of said jaws, a bevel gear keyed to the inner end of each of saidshafts, a shaft journaled for rotation about an axis coincident with theaxis of rotation of said member, a bevel gear keyed to said lastmentioned shaft and in mesh with said rst mentioned bevel gears, andmeans to rotate said last mentioned shaft whereby said jaws will bemoved into pressure engagement with the inner periphery of said coil.

15. Apparatus for supplying metal strip to a device acting on said stripand to eect desired back tension on said strip comprising in combinationa rotatable and expansible mandrel 'to tightly grip the inner peripheryof a coil of strip for holding said coil and rotating the same about theprincipal axis thereof, means to oppose rotation of said mandrel, aroller leveller adapted to receive the strip as it spirals off the coilheld on said mandrel, the operation of the apparatus being such that thefriction encountered in the rotation of the parts of the leveller andthe opposing force encountered in the rotation of said mandrel eiectsdistributed back tension on the strip.

16. Apparatus for supplying metal strip to a device acting on said striphaving means to pull said strip and for applying back tension in thestrip intermediate said device and apparatus comprising in combinationan expansible mandrel for engaging the inner periphery of a coil ofstrip to hold the coil rigidly thereon, said mandrel being rotatablewhereby said coil will rotate about its principal axis, means comprisinga roller leveller adapted to receive the strip as it leaves the coil onthe mandrel, the rolls of said leveller and the opposing forceencountered in the rotation of said mandrel effecting clistributed backtension in said" strip, and means to rotate said mandrel to facilitatethreading through of the leading end portion of said strip.

